Alarm movement



A ril 18,1967

| ,c. BOWDEN 3,314,228

ALARM MOVEMENT Filed Oct. 23, 1965 5 Sheetsh et 1 April 18, 1967 c. BOWDEN ALARM MOVEMENT Filed Oct. 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 18,1967 BOWDEN 3,314,228

ALARM MOVEMENT Filed Oct. 25, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet s km/M1702.

United States Patent 3,314,228 ALARM MOVEMENT Lee C. Bowden, Athens, Ga., assignor to General Time Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,451 Claims. (Cl. 58-38) terposed between the hour wheel and a settable index wheel and which produces relative movement in the axial direction upon drop-off. The fact that the blade is usually arranged parallel to the wheel axis and at the same distance from the Wheels, with other clock mechanism and a frame plate in between, has required resort to relatively expensive alarm release couplings.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in an electric alarm clock, novel means for releasing the buzzer blade for vibration upon drop-off at the pre-set time. It is another object of the invention to provide, in such a clock, a movement transmitting linkage between the hour wheel and buzzer blade which has only a single moving part and which is therefore highly economical. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an alarm movement having a single alarm lever which is capable of both endwise and rocking movement and which includes means for converting from one type of movement to the other to effect release and shut-off of the alarm blade.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed descrip tion and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a clock incorporating the present invention and with the casing broken away to reveal the internal construction.

FIG. 2 is aperspective rear view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view looking along 3-3 in FIG. 2 showing the alarm control portions of the mechanism prior to sounding of the alarm.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to FIG. 3

and showing the alarm lever blocking the buzzer bladeJ FIG. 5- shows release of the buzzer blade at the pre-set time.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view looking along the line 66 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view looking along the line 7-7 in FIG. 6 and showing release of the buzzer blade.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view showing disabling of the alarm by the shut-off plunger.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view looking along the line 9-9 .in FIG. 8.

While the invention has ben described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment shown but intend to cover the various alternative and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scone of the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings there is shown a clock 10 having a mechanism supported on a frame including a first frame plate 11 and a second frame plate 12. A small synchronous motor 13, having sets of magnetic poles 14, 15, rotates a driving train 16 terminating in an hour 3,314,228 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 wheel 17. The latter is connected to an hour hand 18 and rotated at the rate of one revolution every twelve hours. A suitable 12:1 step up connection (not shown) is employed to drive the minute hand 19.

For initiating the sounding of the alarm, there is provided, adjacent the hour wheel 17, an index wheel 20 which is connected to an alarm setting hand 21. The index wheel may be adjusted to any desired phase position with respect to the hour Wheel by a setting pinion 22 under the control of a rotatable alarm setting knob 23. As understood by one skilled in the art, means are provided for causing the hour wheel 17 to move endwise relative to the index wheel upon reaching the time for which the alarm has been set. In the present instance, this is accomplished by providing a drop off cam 25 on the index wheel cooperating with a drop off aperture 26 in the hour wheel. Thus, when drop-off occurs, the hour wheel 17, underthe urging of a suitable biasing spring (not shown) moves to the right, i.e. forwardly within the clock. I 4

Prior to describing the novel linkage which is employed for transmitting this motion to effect release of the alarm, more specific mention may be made of the sounding means. As shown in FIG. 2, the sound is produced by a buzzer blade 30 having one end anchored, cantilever fashion, to a bracket 31 which is integrally formed with the frame plate 12. The other end of the buzzer blade lies within the magnetic field of a pair of motor poles 14, 15 respectively. Thus when the blade is released it is set into vibratory motion by the alternating magnetism at the poles to create an audible buzz. As is conventional in clocks of this type, the buzzer blade lies in a plane which is parallel to the clock axis and which is, therefore, parallel to the axis of the hour wheel 17 In accordance with the present invention a novel alarm lever is provided mounted on a-lined pivots permiting axial as well as rocking movement, the alarm lever having a first arm responsive to the endwise movement of the hour wheel and a second arm movable intoand out of the plane of the buzzer blade, with cooperating cam surfaces on the alarm lever and frame respectively for converting between axial and rocking movement so that the buzzer blade is released for vibration when drop off occurs, and clampingly disabled when the alarm is reset.

Thus, turning to the drawings, I provide an alarm lever 40 having trunion-like projections 41, 42 seated in trapezoidal apertures 43, 44 in the respective frame plates. Lost motion is provided in the axial direction so thatthe alarm lever is free to move endwise, as well as rock, in the mounting apertures. For the purpose of responding to the endwise movement of the hour wheel 17 which occurs upon drop off, the alarm lever is provided with a first arm 45 having a tip 46 which rides upon the rear surface of the hour wheel. For coupling the alarm lever to the buzzer blade for movement in and out of the plane of the buzzer blade, the alarm lever includes a second arm 47 which is arranged at a large angle to the first and which has a tip 48 which is movable into and out of engagement with respect to the blade as the alarm lever is rocked in one direction or the other.

In order to convert the axial or edgewise movement of the alarm lever into rotary motion as required to control the buzzer blade, a camming connection 50 is provided between the alarm lever and the frame of the clock which, in the present instance, includes a cam surface 51 on the lever and a cam follower surface 52 on the frame plate 12. The cam surface is conveniently formed along one edge of an aperture 53, through which the arm 47 of the alarm lever projects. The cam surfaces 51, 52- are so faced that the alarm lever is cammed to undergo rocking movement whenever it is subjected to endwise movement upon axial movement of the hour wheel.

Thus referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the alarm mechanism is shown in its condition just prior to sounding of the alarm. Under such conditions the hour wheel is in its rearwardly pressed position, held there by the drop-off cam 25 thus urging the alarm lever axially, or endwise, toward the frame plate 12. This causes the cam surface 51 on the alarm lever to ride to a high position with respect to the surface 52 so that the arm 47 is forcibly rotated in a direction to press against the buzzer blade 30, lifting the buzzer blade away from the magnetic poles 14, so that no buzzing occurs.

Upon passage of time, when the aperture 26 in the hour wheel rotates around into register with the drop-off cam 25, drop-off occurs and the hour Wheel is urged to the right, i. e. in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 5. This releases the alarm lever for endwise movement toward the front of the clock, permitting the cam surface 51 on the alarm lever to ride downhill with respect to the surface 52 to a low position and thus permitting the arm 47 on the alarm lever to move clear of the buzzer blade 30 as illustrated in FIG. 7. The normal restoring force of the buzzer blade 30 assists in the releasing action. With the blade unblocked it is free to vibrate under the influence of the magnetism from the poles 14, 15, sounding the alarm and awakening the user.

For the purpose of shutting off the alarm, a plunger is provided which is mounted for movement parallel to the axis of the alarm lever and which has a cam surface thereon for restoring the buzzer blade to its upraised or blocked position. In the present instance the plunger, indicated at 60, rides in an aperture 61 formed in the frame plate 12 and, at its rear end, rides in an aperture 62 which isbonveniently formed in a bracket 63 supported on the motor. Projecting from the side of the plunger 60 is an integral cam 65 which is positioned to engage one side of the arm 47 on the alarm lever, forcibly rotating the alarm lever back into its blade-blocking position to shut off the alarm. Preferably the plunger 60 is split at its inner end to form a spring leg 66 which is bent at 67 to define detented inward and outward plunger positions. Thus the plunger is maintained in its inward or alarm-blocking position until it is intentionally pulled out incident to resetting the, clock.

At the time that the clock is reset, for example, the following evening, the drop-off cam 25 will be out of register with its aperture so that force exists on the arm 45 of the alarm lever to urge the lever endwise, accompanied by camming of the lever into its blade-blocking position. Thus, when the plunger is pulled out, the mechanism is in the condition shown in FIG. 3 and the alarm will not sound until the pre-set drop-off time again occurs the following morning.

It is apparent that the present linkage between the hour wheel and the buzzer blade performs all of the necessary functions and yet consists of only a single movable part namely the alarm lever 40 and its two integral arms 45, 47 with the camming surfaces 51, 52 interposed between the lever and the frame, serving to convert from one type of motion (axial) to the other type of motion (rocking) to achieve shut off of a buzzer blade located in a plane parallel to the hour wheel axis. The cooperating cam surfaces '51, 52 which produce the conversion from one type of motion to the other can be considered to constrain the movement of the alarm lever to a helical path. The shut olf movement is positive and accompanied by little or no wear so that the alarm control arrangement can be expected to outlast the normal life of the clock by a wide margin.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In an electric alarm clock the combination comprising a frame, a timing train including a synchronous motor and hour wheel, a settable index wheel adjacent the hour wheel, means including a drop-off cam interposed between the wheels to produce relative axial movement upon dropoff at a pre-set time, a buzzer blade on the motor, an

alarm lever having alined pivots permitting axial as well as rotational movement, the alarm lever having a first arm coupled to the axially moving one of the wheels for axial movement of the lever in response to drop-01f, cooperating cam surfaces on the alarm lever and frame respectively, said cam surfaces being so oriented that upon axial movement of the alarm lever such lever is rotated about its axis, and a second arm on the alarm lever for movement in and out of silencing engagement with the buzzer blade in response to rotation of the alarm lever.

2. In an electric alarm clock the combination comprising a frame, a timing train including a synchronous motor and hour wheel, a settable index Wheel adjacent to the hour wheel, means including a drop-off cam interposed between said wheels to produce relative axial movement upon drop-off at a pre-set time, a buzzer blade on the motor, an alarm lever having alined pivots permitting axial as well as rotational movement, cooperating cam surfaces on the alarm lever and frame respectively so that when the alarm lever is subjected to one type of movement it must undergo the other type of movement, said alarm lever having a first arm coupled to the axially moving one of the wheels for imparting to the lever one type of movement in response to drop-off, said alarm lever having a second arm cooperating with the buzzer blade and movable in to and out of said silencing engagement in response to the other type of movement of the lever.

3. In an electric alarm clock the combination compristo the direction of relative movement of the wheels, an

alarm lever having alined pivots permitting axial as well as rotational movement, said alarm lever having a first arm coupled to at least one of the wheels for movement in response axial to drop-0E and resetting, said alarm lever having a second arm movable into and out of the plane of the buzzer blade, and cooperating cam surfaces on the alarm lever and frame respectively for constraining the lever to move with combined rotational and axial movement so that the buzzer blade is released for vibration When drop-off occurs and so that the blade is clampingly disabled when the alarm is reset.

4. In an electric alarm clock the combination comprising a frame, a timing train including a synchronous motor and hour wheel, a settable index wheel coaxial with the hour wheel, means including adrop-off cam interposed between said wheels to produce relative axial movement upon drop-off at a pre-set time, a buzzer blade on the motor lying in a plane which is parallel to the wheel axis, an alarm lever having alined pivots permitting axial as well as rocking movement, said alarm lever having a first arm coupled to one of the wheels so that axial movement is imparted to the lever in response to drop-off, said alarm lever having a second arm extending at an angle to the first and movable into and out of the plane of the buzzer blade as the alarm lever is rocked, and means including cooperating angled cam surfaces on the alarm lever and frame respectively for converting the axial movement of the first arm into a component of rocking movement at the second to free the buzzer blade to respond upon drop-off, an alarm shut-off plunger mounted for movement parallel to the axis of the alarm lever, and cooperating cam surfaces on the alarm lever and plunger for rotating the alarm lever into a position to clampingly disable the buzzer blade upon moving the plunger end- Wise.

5. In an electric alarm clock the combination comprising a frame, a timing train including a synchronous motor and hour wheel, a settable index wheel coaxial with the hour wheel, means including a drop-off cam interposed between said wheels to produce relative axial movement upon drop-01f at a pre-set time, a buzzer blade on the motor lying in a plane which is parallel to the wheel axis, an alarm lever having alined pivots permitting axial as well as rocking movement, said alarm lever having a first arm coupled to one of the wheels so that axial movement is imparted to the lever in response to drop-oil, said alarm lever having a second arm movable into and out of the plane of the buzzer blade as the alarm lever is rocked,

an angled edge on the alarm lever, a cooperating edge on the clock frame so oriented that engagement between the angled edge and the edge of the frame causes a rocking component of movement to be imparted to the alarm lever upon drop-01f and resetting.

No references cited.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FRAME, A TIMING TRAIN INCLUDING A SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR AND HOUR WHEEL, A SETTABLE INDEX WHEEL ADJACENT THE HOUR WHEEL, MEANS INCLUDING A DROP-OFF CAM INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE WHEELS TO PRODUCE RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT UPON DROPOFF AT A PRE-SET TIME, A BUZZER BLADE ON THE MOTOR, AN ALARM LEVER HAVING ALINED PIVOTS PERMITTING AXIAL AS WELL AS ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT, THE ALARM LEVER HAVING A FIRST ARM COUPLED TO THE AXIALLY MOVING ONE OF THE WHEELS FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER IN RESPONSE TO DROP-OFF, COOPERATING CAM SURFACES ON THE ALARM LEVER AND FRAME RESPECTIVELY, SAID CAM SURFACES BEING SO ORIENTED THAT UPON AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE ALARM LEVER SUCH LEVER IS ROTATED ABOUT ITS AXIS, AND A SECOND ARM ON THE ALARM LEVER FOR MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF SILENCING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BUZZER BLADE IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF THE ALARM LEVER. 